Ephemeral Eternity
by ACosmicFrappe
Summary: Zeno deserves to be with someone who will live forever by his side, and Yona deserves to have someone who will die with her. Love never gave much thought to what people *deserve*. One-shot


"Zeno-kun, are you crying?"

The yellow dragon shivered at the sound of Yona's voice, shivered at the way it picked at all of his wounds.

"You should go back inside, miss," the boy whispered, looking up at her through the rain. The water slapped his cheeks. "You'll catch cold."

She must not become sick. He couldn't bear it if her fate was the same as-

From behind him, he heard footsteps, a sigh, and then the sound of the tent flap being pushed aside. Zeno hated himself for feeling disappointed.

But then- "You're pale, Zeno-kun." A warm blanket settled over his shoulders, and Yona squeezed some life back into him with her warm arms. "Come into my tent."

He didn't have the strength to argue. He allowed the princess to gently take his hands (his cold, cold hands) in her own and pull him inside with her.

* * *

Sitting by the dead fire, Hak watches.

Hak will always watch over her, even when it tears at his heart to do so.

* * *

Yona was digging through her bag. She tossed aside her bow, a couple of arrows, and even Ao, who raced to the Yellow Dragon's side upon smelling salt water.

" _Ah ha!"_ The princess triumphantly held up a piece of mochi wrapped in a leaf. A kindly shopkeeper a few villages back had let Yona try her hand at making it. She had been saving the last of it for a rainy day.

"For you!" She handed it to Zeno, who looked down at it and smiled.

"Miss is too kind. Zeno cannot accept it." As he spoke, the squirrel on his shoulder snuck a tiny bite of the mochi. Yona grabbed Ao and held him up so he could see her frown. She pressed the tip of her nose to his pink, twitching one.

"You have to eat it!" the girl cried, turning to Zeno, who was watching her with amusement in his eyes. "If you don't, Ao here will eat it all and get too fat to move!"

Zeno chuckled. "If miss insists…" he bit into her gift, his eyes widening at the taste. "Daifuku…?"

"Yes!'" Yona clapped her hands together, wincing as Ao scrambled to sit on top of her head. "Ow...my arm _still_ hurts from grinding up the red beans…"

Suddenly, Zeno began crying again. A bit of mochi was stuck to his lip, so Yona reached forward to wipe it off with her thumb. " _Why_ are you crying, Zeno-kun?" Her hand moved to his cheek. "Are you sad about Kaya?"

He nodded...and then shook his head. "Zeno is selfish," he whimpered.

" _Why?"_

"Because I _love_ you." Zeno's voice cracked. "Zeno shouldn't love _anybody,_ because Zeno cannot die with them!"

Yona rocked back on the balls of her feet...and let out a sob. The Yellow Dragon flinched and grabbed onto her shoulders.

"Zeno did not intend to-"

Yona slapped her hands over her eyes. "I'm selfish too! I shouldn't love you either...you deserve someone who will live for you!"

Shocked to his bones, Zeno let go of her, his arms sagging down to rest uselessly at his sides.

So both of them cried for a while, one silently, the other wailing. Then - _finally_ \- they finished, leaning against one another for support.

Face tear-stained, Yona reached for a nearby arrow.

"Let us make a vow-" Her voice was hoarse as she dragged the arrowhead across her palm, blood springing up in its wake. "...To stay by each other's side. Always. Either you die with me, or I live with you. But no matter what happens, we _must_ stay together."

Zeno had been down this road before. He could still feel Kaya's bones in his arms. But maybe things would be different this time. He had to believe things would be _different!_

"I swear that I will never leave you," he whispered, cutting his own hand open. They pressed their palms together, blood oozing in one stream off their hands.

Zeno's hair became stained red when Yona touched it.

The teardrop that had been shivering on Yona's eyelash finally fell when Zeno kissed her.

* * *

 **A/N: _Well? Do they get their happy ending? Or is tragedy all that awaits them? It's up to you, because this is a one-shot._**

 ** _I hope for their sake that the reader is in a good mood..._**


End file.
